One of the most pleasant surprises of the summer was this crime thriller series, the best of its kind I’ve seen in quite some time. Led by Emmy Rossum (the once-upon-a-time young girl from The Phantom of the Opera, Sean Penn’s daughter in Mystic River, and, of course, Shameless), in a role that is, without exaggeration, a career-defining one, Furious emerges as an ideal artistic proposition for the post-MeToo, and above all the post-Epstein, era.
It never resorts to preaching or cramming itself full of “messages,” nor does it have the glossy sheen of other shows of its kind. Instead, its main weapon is a meticulously crafted script, where all these issues are addressed organically, without ever neglecting the suspense, the broader social commentary, or the welcome humor (used sparingly and exactly as much as needed). And importantly, no questions are left unanswered.
Another one of the show’s strengths is the entire cast of fully developed characters surrounding Rossum, played by actors who are all excellent, without a single weak link. Scott McNairy is a personal favorite, and I was genuinely happy to see him here. I’d also single out the delightful Quincy Tyler Bernstine, a classic case of an actor who has spent an entire career doing small roles and finally gets the opportunity here to show what she can really do, as well as Steve Way, who was also completely unknown to me until now.
I was also happy to see former indie darlings Campbell Scott and, above all, Hope Davis in major roles. That said, I still can’t understand why Stefanos Kasselakis is once again playing yet another sleazebag in this one!
Furious really does deserve all the excellent reviews it has received, and I wholeheartedly recommend it. Hopefully the continuation will live up to it as well. (Don’t worry, the story is wrapped up. There’s simply an intriguing setup for the next season.)